Stretch Experience

"I move forward from this project a little more equipped to face the daring world.”

– Lan Truong, PLLC Scholar

Science student Lan hosted the Beauty of the Brains Pageant, a leadership conference for female junior high students, as part of her Stretch Experience.

Make your mark with your own leadership passion-project!

An important part of Peter Lougheed Leadership College's (PLLC) focus on experiential learning is the Stretch Experience. This requirement for the certificate program is an intensive 200-hour leadership project that puts students' leadership skills into practice. Each student can receive up to $5,000 in funding to support their project.

PLLC students have used the Stretch Experience to tackle issues they are passionate about both at home and abroad. From archaeology digs in Thessaly, Greece to sustainability initiatives in Fez, Morocco, to urban beekeeping in Edmonton, these projects have contributed more than 30,000 hours to making change in the global community. For students, Stretch Experiences provide an opportunity to help fill gaps or highlight their strengths to further their personal goals and strategy. 

Discover the program through our IMPACT: Student Projects with Purpose publication, which marks five years of Stretch Experiences:

Requirements

Stretch Experiences are self-directed and independently designed, with approval from PLLC staff. Projects must fulfill the following objectives:

  • Leadership: Students will have the opportunity to put into practice the leadership skills learned in INT D 301 - Foundations of Leadership and other PLLC courses.
  • Social Benefit: A successful Stretch Experience will bring significant social benefit to the communities in which scholars are involved.
  • Personal Strategy: The Stretch Experience will support each student's "personal strategy" (i.e. personal, career, and/or academic goals), bearing in mind that students will likely apply for a job or pursue further academic study or professional qualifications based on these goals.
  • Growth: Students are expected to engage in an activity that stretches them beyond their comfort zones, as they will ideally be exposed to new and unfamiliar experiences, communities, and/or cultural contexts.
  • Mentorship: The Stretch Experience provides students with the opportunity to benefit from mentorship, either through PLLC's Mentorship Team or elsewhere.

Most Stretch Experiences are conducted over the Summer or in the Fall. This is a mandatory, not-for-credit program element that will be evaluated on a pass-fail basis.

Read more on the PLLC Stretch blog

Funding Opportunities

Successful Stretch Experiences are awarded up to $5,000.

 

Questions about the Stretch Experience can be directed to pllc@ualberta.ca.